Giants greats Ottis Anderson, Carl Banks inch closer to Hall of Fame

Former New York Giants greats quarterback Charlie Conerly, linebacker Carl Banks, and running back Ottis “O.J.” Anderson are among 60 former NFL players who are advancing to the next stage in the voting process for the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Class of 2025 in the Seniors category.

For an individual to be considered, each former player last could have appeared in a professional football game in the 1999 season.

Per the Pro Football Hall of Fame, “the separate nine-person Seniors Blue-Ribbon Committee will make additional reductions in increments over the next several weeks. In late fall, this committee will select three Seniors as Finalists for possible election with the Class of 2025 presented by Visual Edge IT.”

Conerly led the Giants to the 1956 NFL Championship and was the league MVP in 1959. He played for Big Blue from 1948-61, had his No. 42 retired, and is a member of the Giants’ Ring of Honor.

Banks, also a Ring of Honoree, was a two-time Super Bowl champion, a First-Team All-Pro (1987), and a member of the NFL’s 1980s All-Decade Team.

Anderson is the St. Louis Cardinals’ all-time leading rusher who was traded to the Giants after six seasons. With New York, Anderson was a manager of two Super Bowl-winning teams and was named MVP of Super Bowl XXV. He is also enshrined in the Giants Ring of Honor.

Former Giants defensive back Everson Walls is also among the 60.